AAU Team Spotlight: NJ Blaze U17’s
This weekend, the New Jersey Blaze U17 team took home the I-95 Challenge Championship after a 4-0 record, dominating in the tournament overall. The Blaze have a great roster of talent, comprised of players from Central and North Jersey. Here’s…
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Continue ReadingThis weekend, the New Jersey Blaze U17 team took home the I-95 Challenge Championship after a 4-0 record, dominating in the tournament overall. The Blaze have a great roster of talent, comprised of players from Central and North Jersey. Here’s a quick look at some of the prospects on this championship team that you should be watching moving forward.
Kelly McDermott – F, Warren Hills (2023)
McDermott has been a consistent scorer this summer for NJ Blaze, improving on her offensive game, which was the weakest part of her overall game looking back to the high school season. She excelled defensively, which she continues to do, but that offense just wasn’t at the same clip, at least then because she’s done a much better job so far this AAU season at utilizing her height and size to her advantage. Continued progress there is going to make her quite the unstoppable force come the fall and winter.
Bella Soto – G, Warren Hills (2024)
One of quite a few Warren Hills players on the roster and a teammate of McDermott, Soto is one of the leaders of NJ Blaze without a doubt. She commands the floor well as a guard and knows how to create, often getting in double-figures for scoring. She drives hard to the basket and creates lanes for herself as she goes, but will throw defenses off from the perimeter as the best three-point shooter last season for Warren Hills. Consistency is key and the more playing time she gets, the more comfortable she is going to feel on the floor.
Sami Schander – F, Warren Hills (2023)
Schander is turning herself into an elite forward and it’s clear to see how high her trajectory is going with a strong scoring/rebounding combo. While not quite at double-double averages right now, she’s showing during AAU play that she’s going to shatter that threshold this coming high school season. She plays aggressive in the lane and really has a knack for shot-blocking. Her post defending can go up against anyone and with some fine tuning, she’s going to be an excellent forward.
Meredith Dufner – G, Warren Hills (2025)
Dufner got her first taste of high school basketball this past season and played well as a bench player. However, her sights are set for a starting spot as a sophomore and she definitely will be throwing her hat into the running. Dufner has the standard traits of a guard, someone who can score, shoot, pass and defend on the perimeter. She’s still very much growing in her overall game, so we’re expecting more emphasis on her outside game come the fall. Dufner got to the line quite a lot as a freshman, so her aggression plays in a good way right now.
Courtney Keane – 5-4 G, Hackettstown (2024)
Keane got little playing time with Hackettstown this past year and this AAU season is her proving ground to get a solidified spot for the fall. She’s definitely turning hears on the floor this summer and despite her size, she drives the lane well and has shown off range from beyond the arc. Keane is someone who is going to surprise, an under-the-radar talent who definitely could be a specialized shooter, but she’s got plenty more tools under her arsenal that make her a mutli-dimensional threat in the making.